Monsoon Books – Publisher of books on Asia

destination reads

Indonesia

Indonesia

39 Products

Malaysia

Malaysia

53 Products

Singapore

Singapore

56 Products

Thailand

Thailand

19 Products

new and forthcoming

COMING SOON!

Blitar Magic Garage by John Donnelly

BLITAR MAGIC GARAGE by John Donnelly

NEW RELEASE

Jakarta by Herald van der Linde

JAKARTA by Herald van der Linde

£10.99

NEW RELEASE

Majapahit by Herald van der Linde

MAJAPAHIT by Herald van der Linde

£12.99

NEW EDITION

Private Dancer by Stephen Leather

PRIVATE DANCER by Stephen Leather

£10.99

NEW RELEASE

Dirty Old Media Men by Millie Lee

DIRTY OLD MEDIA MEN by Millie Lee

£10.99

NEW EDITION

Cigarette Girl by Ratih Kumala (Gadis Kretek)

CIGARETTE GIRL by Ratih Kumala

£10.99

NEW RELEASE

Joseph Conrad's Eastern Voyages by Ian Burnet

JOSEPH CONRAD’S EASTERN VOYAGES by Ian Burnet

£10.99

NEW RELEASE

Maya by Nuril Basri

MAYA by Nuril Basri

£10.99

popular genres

Historical Fiction

Historical Fiction

45 Products

Military

Military

14 Products

Biography & Memoir

Biography & Memoir

36 Products

True Crime

True Crime

6 Products

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Posted @withregram • @jylim_flow #sipandspill

Posted @withregram • @jylim_flow #sipandspill

“Cigarette Girl,” or “Gadis Kretek” in Bahasa, by Ratih Kumala, is the first Indonesian novel I’ve received, read, and fallen in love with—so much so that I’ve been eagerly recommending it to friends for the past two months. Spanning from the era of Dutch colonial rule through Indonesia’s post-war Communist purge, the novel follows the rivalry between two cigarette-making families, weaving together themes of tragedy, romance, and redemption. At its center is Jeng Yah, an ambitious, charismatic woman whose quest is to create the world’s finest cigarette flavor. The story ends with an enduring message: that younger generations own the integrity to right the wrongs of those who came before them.

@gadiskretek not only penned the original novel but also served as one of the screenwriters for its Netflix adaptation, a five-part series. “Rewriting Cigarette Girl as a drama,” Ratih explains, “gave me an opportunity to revise the ending in a way that filled some of the gaps I felt were missing in the novel.” The resulting adaptation is arguably one of the most successful and artistically compelling dramas that came out of Southeast Asia in the past decade.

Historical novels like Cigarette Girl have a unique power: they enrich our history textbooks by capturing the experiences and interactions of those who came before us—breathing life into the past with color, texture, and even aroma. Cigarette Girl powerfully blends cultural insight with a vivid narrative to illuminate history, with the intention of inspiring hope for intergenerational healing.

#southeastasianpride #southeastasian #asean #seasolidarity #aseanmatters #bahasa #indonesian #southeastasianliterature #shelftherapy #ubudwritersandreadersfestival

Posted @withregram • @gnolbo ANJING MENGEONG, KU

Posted @withregram • @gnolbo ANJING MENGEONG, KUCING MENGGONGGONG (THE DOG MEOWS, THE CAT BARKS) will be published in English! Rights have been acquired by New Directions (US), Pushkin Press (UK), Speaking Tiger (India) & Monsoon Books (SEAsia) through @pontasagency. Originally published in Indonesian by @sastragpu.

#indonesianauthor #indonesianliterature #monsoonbooks #ekakurniawan #publishingdeal

Kudos to author Herald van der Linde for deliverin

Kudos to author Herald van der Linde for delivering a talk to Singapore Heritage Society (and one inquisitive cat) on ‘Political Tensions, Cultural Connections: Majapahit and its relationship with Singapore’ at SingLit Station. The event was sold out and well received, and Herald kindly signed copies of his book after the event. We look forward to welcoming Herald back to Singapore soon.

Synopsis of Majapahit
Discover Majapahit, Indonesia’s greatest empire. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence extended throughout Asia.

Walk the bustling streets of Majapahit, a melting pot of aristocratic Javanese, matted-haired Brahmins, hermits in bark cloth, widows dressed in white, and Chinese, Persian and Arab traders. Discover beautiful temples and imposing palaces, and markets brimming with goods from all over Asia.

At the heart of Majapahit’s story are eccentric kings and queens embroiled in bloody family feuds, and a tipsy court scribe who has the good sense to write down everything he sees. Witness the drama of royal intrigues, murders, revenge and war. This is not just the story of an empire’s rise and fall, it is an exploration of a society rich in religious diversity, social tolerance and artistic achievement, and a society – much like Indonesia today – which must navigate its way in the challenging tapestry of Chinese and Southeast Asian geopolitics.

#majapahit #monsoonbooks #booklaunch #singlit #singaporehistory @singlitstation @sgheritagesociety @definitelybooks @heraldvdl

Thank you Fong Min Hun of LitBooks in KL for moder

Thank you Fong Min Hun of LitBooks in KL for moderating another fantastic talk by Herald van der Linde, author of ‘Majapahit’, and to the staff of Cziplee in Bangsar Village II for hosting the event and Leslie Lim of Pansing Distribution for arranging the talk.

Discover Majapahit, Indonesia’s greatest empire. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence extended throughout Asia.

Walk the bustling streets of Majapahit, a melting pot of aristocratic Javanese, matted-haired Brahmins, hermits in bark cloth, widows dressed in white, and Chinese, Persian and Arab traders. Discover beautiful temples and imposing palaces, and markets brimming with goods from all over Asia.

At the heart of Majapahit’s story are eccentric kings and queens embroiled in bloody family feuds, and a tipsy court scribe who has the good sense to write down everything he sees. Witness the drama of royal intrigues, murders, revenge and war. This is not just the story of an empire’s rise and fall, it is an exploration of a society rich in religious diversity, social tolerance and artistic achievement, and a society – much like Indonesia today – which must navigate its way in the challenging tapestry of Chinese and Southeast Asian geopolitics.

#majapahit #monsoonbooks #booklaunch @mylitbooks @cziplee @definitelybooks @heraldvdl

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DIRTY OLD MEDIA MEN

Meet the characters in Millie Lee’s new book

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